The demand of cloud-based live streaming technology is picking up prevalence in the live streaming industry. Users are looking for platforms that provide excellent cloud-based broadcasting solutions. But why is this so? To explore, let us help you understand the out and about of Cloud-based live streaming technology.
What is Cloud-Based Live Video Streaming?
Streaming services and technology that do not require an on-premise server are known as cloud streaming. Because it has become something like an obsolete term, most professionals in the streaming sector have begun to refer to cloud streaming using new terms. There will be mentions of live video platforms, live streaming services providers, and other topics. Cloud streaming, or whatever you choose to call it, is the process of accessing your video content software via the internet.
What Are the Advantages of Cloud Streaming?
For a variety of reasons, customers prefer cloud-based live streaming services over on-premise streaming software. It’s frequently a far more cost-effective option. You wouldn’t have to spend on infrastructure to run the server, as well as most of the other hardware. Furthermore, because video streaming has penetrated practically every industry, many businesses that use it lack the technical expertise required to administer and maintain it. On-premise servers are required or beneficial in some industries and use cases. Government and surveillance agencies, for example, frequently require their equipment to be inactive and behind a firewall.
It is also discovered that several professionals and customers require the speed and scalability of our video platform. You can rely on a popular live streaming solution to scale broadcasts up or down in moments without additional hardware or maintenance if you access your live video streaming arrangement in the cloud. The leading live streaming services and software also provide the necessary infrastructure in place to just get business up and running quickly. Here are some of the top advantages of Cloud Live Streaming:
Available from Anywhere and on Any Device:
Your audience may watch videos from the comfort of their own homes, at work, or on their way to work. These sites’ videos are viewable as long as your viewer has access to the internet.
Solve Bandwidth Issues:
Depending on the quality of your internet connection, you can view the stream at 140p, 360p, or 1080p. These platforms feature adaptive bitrate broadcasting and transcoding, which involves the creation of different file formats to accommodate fluctuating bandwidth conditions. The ability to play a video without having to download it is referred to as “readily playable.”
Data Security & Protection:
According to Insights, the top motivator for cloud adoption was security and data protection.
Searchability:
When you have got vast amounts of videos kept in a company organization, it becomes challenging to locate that 1 video amidst 1000s. A cloud-based video streaming platform can ease the above for you with tags, and look inside video content by faces, items and spoken words.
Access Controls:
Define who really can see your clips and who cannot. You could, for example, restrict your marketing department’s employees’ access to only marketing-related training videos and not those from the human resources department.
API Integration Possibilities:
These services allow you to integrate smoothly with any video-based application. For example, instead of downloading and submitting Zoom recordings, you may have them automatically ingest them and see them through your live video solution.
How Does a Live Cloud-Based Video Streaming Work?
The service you’re utilising already has probably made all of the necessary infrastructure and skill investments. The best platforms or streaming services will manage everything for you, including hosting, transcoding, and delivering streams, as well as maintaining the cloud streaming server. At its most basic level, a cloud-based live streaming solution achieves this, but the transcoding part demands additional attention. It’s what allows you to send your streams in a number of formats to a wide range of devices across a variety of connections.
It’s also worth noting that certain transcoders lack video-on-demand functionality. If you require this, ensure that your cloud streaming server supports both VOD and live streaming.
What Should I Look for in a Cloud-Based Live Streaming Software Platform?
You’ll want to pick a video platform that fits your workflow’s requirements. Here are some of the most typical qualities to keep an eye out for:
CMS:
Any cloud streaming platform must have a content management system (CMS). You’ll need a mechanism to manage, organize, and share live or VOD content if you’re going to stream it.
CDN:
Content delivery networks (CDNs) let you reach a wider audience by allowing you to broadcast to any audience, everywhere. You can pick between several CDN services depending on your budget and needs with the top video platforms.
Analytics:
There are two main types of analytics to look for. The first, often known as stream metrics, is used to keep track of your streams. You’ll be notified in real-time if there are any issues with transmission or speed, and you’ll be able to monitor stream status. The third type of statistics available on many cloud streaming services is audience analytics. You should see how many viewers watch, where they are located, and how engaged they are.
Developer Resources:
APIs as well as other developer tools are available from several cloud video streaming platforms to aid in the development of your solution. Developers aren’t considered during the design of all video platforms. If you think you’ll need that, make sure you read through their information to see what possibilities you’ll have.
Security:
First and foremost, you must be able to trust your supplier to keep your data secure. For the best safety, look for SOC-II certified alternatives. Additional security features such as token authorisation, stream-level encryption, and digital privacy management may be required.
Player:
Getting many services from a single source is always preferable than piecing together various pieces of a procedure from different companies. Look for cloud streaming solutions that include a player, as well as analytics and monetization. If the HTML5 player isn’t present, it’s far more difficult to get either one of those capabilities to work.
Monetization:
While not all cloud-based video streaming platforms are made to make money, there are several that are. Pay-per-view, ad insertion, and subscriptions are examples of monetization options.
Live Content Recording:
This is a great option to have if you wish to repurpose your live content as VOD later. Some services record your video broadcast and then publish it to the CMS, allowing you to redistribute it as you see fit.
Go ahead and choose a live streaming service that meets these requirements and host an excellent live streaming event!
